This morning at 07:00am NZST (10 June 2026), Peter Bourke crossed the finish line at Southport aboard his S&S 8.6-metre kauri keelboat Diablo, completing the 2026 Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge. He has sailed 10 days 19 hours 3 minutes 57 seconds covering 1,308 nautical miles, with a PHRF corrected elapsed time of 7 days 2 hours 59 minutes. Ninth overall on line honours. Fifth on PHRF monohull handicap.
He arrived in the dark, on a 56-year-old kauri boat, having celebrated his birthday at sea two days before the finish.
Diablo
Diablo is a 29-foot Sparkman and Stephens Half Tonner, built in heart kauri by Keith Eade in 1970. Commissioned by Russell Hume, then Commodore of Royal Akarana Yacht Club, she was one of only three S&S Half Tonners known to have been built in New Zealand. She was designed for the Half Ton Cup and never made the team. Then Bruce Farr arrived in 1972 and his Titus Canby swept aside an entire generation of full-bellied ocean racers almost overnight. Diablo was obsolete within a year of launching.
Her racing life continued in Wellington, then Lyttelton, then she drifted north and ended up on a mooring at Opua, sitting quietly and looking very tired. That is where Peter Bourke found her in 2020. “Bits were falling off her, sails in tatters and the motor was big on noise, small on speed.”
Bourke spent five years pulling her back. Hull and decks overhauled by Lees Boatbuilders. The old engine replaced with a Volvo 20hp saildrive. Spars and rigging completely rebuilt by Gulf Harbour Rigging. New Harken deck hardware throughout. A full North Sails wardrobe, a Neptune wind vane, solar panels, Starlink, B&G electronics. The whole package brought up to Category 1 standard. His mantra throughout was straightforward: if S&S didn’t design it, or Keith Eade wouldn’t build it, it has no place on Diablo.
The little boat with a big past: Peter Bourke and Diablo take on the Solo Trans-Tasman
He qualified for this race by completing a solo circumnavigation of New Zealand in 2025 — a figure-eight course of roughly 2,800 nautical miles over 58 days, taking him to within 10 miles of 50 degrees south near the bottom of Stewart Island. Diablo crash-jibed in the dark off Puysegur Point. Bourke came on deck to find the boom flying around in rough seas. He sorted it out. “That was a test of not only the boat, but me.”
Peter Bourke’s Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge
When Bourke was halfway across the Tasman, he wrote: “After five years restoring this dear classic kauri keelboat, a circumnavigation of Aotearoa New Zealand, then getting her to Category 1 standards, the Solo Trans-Tasman marks the grande finale in a restoration project and a love affair between boat and man. Diablo is the smallest yacht in the race by a huge margin. She’s the only wooden boat that will finish this race. The combined age of man and boat is 130 years. To all friends, followers and supporters, it’s great to have you along for the ride.”
He kept his word on every count.
The Tasman gave this fleet everything it had. Diablo is light, she heels significantly in strong conditions and Bourke spent much of the crossing managing that, protecting the rig, sailing within himself. Three reefs in the main for five consecutive days. He was precise and deliberate throughout: “Being a racer you’ve got to push the boat a bit harder. You don’t reduce sails in advance and slow yourself down.” He found the balance between the two and held it.
Two days ago he had his birthday, the Tasman offered him something back. The morning had been frustrating, light winds, nothing working. Then around 1pm the breeze came in. “We’ve had this beautiful, almost like trade winds, about 15 knots from the east. The sun’s out, the sea is really deep blue, and we’re just sliding down the waves doing sort of 6 and 7 knots.” He was 200 miles from Southport. He raised a glass. “Did I tell you it was my birthday today? It is. A custom of this race, actually a custom of Diablo; if you have your birthday, you celebrate. Cheers everybody, happy birthday.”
The finish
Diablo crossed the line at fifth in the monohull fleet, behind only Malcolm Dickson’s Sarau, Ben Ball’s Camellia, Peter Elkington’s Pacman and Sharon Ferris-Choat’s Vixen Racing.
He had followed single-handed ocean sailing his whole life. The books, the races, the names: Bill Belcher, Tony Armit, Andrew Fagan. “I’ve always had a fascination in single-handed ocean sailing. I’ve read all the books and followed all the famous voyages and races including the Trans-Tasman. Finally, I’ve got myself into a position where I can set sail myself. I can’t wait to follow in the wakes of kiwi solo legends like Bill Belcher, Tony Armit and Andrew Fagan. My kindred spirits.”
He has followed in their wakes now.
The smallest boat in the race, by 2 metres. The only wooden boat to finish. Five years of restoration. A solo circumnavigation of New Zealand. And then this.
The combined age of man and boat is 130 years. They crossed the Tasman together.
Peter Bourke and Diablo. Well sailed.
